Public finance

The $325 billion, six-year transportation bill set for a vote this week in the House falls short of the level of funding needed, President Obama said.

Long before Puerto Rico's debt crisis, Arkansas' defaults were followed by a decade of refundings, a debt exchange, and ultimately Federal help to resolve its problems.

The more than 250 amendments filed to the House's proposed six-year highway bill include a proposal to raise the federal gasoline tax by 15 cents.

A three part series examining Arkansas' road to default, the state's efforts to resolve the crisis, and the similarities and differences with Puerto Rico today.

CALIFORNIA

ARIZONA

Fitch Ratings and Kroll Bond Rating Agency see the Chicago City Council’s passage of a record property tax as a good step toward stabilizing the city’s finances, though they say plenty of concerns remain.

Virginia’s P3 project pipeline includes seven transportation-related projects that could be financed as public-private partnerships.

A rally in the high-yield tobacco bond sector is being buoyed by a slowdown in cigarette consumption declines, a settlement in New York with the big tobacco companies, and demand for risk assets.

How to fund repairs for crumbling infrastructure vexes the biggest of transit agencies and the smallest of states.

ALASKA

CONNECTICUT

Municipal bond funds reported inflows for the fourth week in a row, according to Lipper data released on Thursday. Weekly reporting funds experienced $349.038 million of inflows in the week ended Oct. 28, after inflows of $240.718 million in the previous week.

While Illinois’ falling ratings doesn’t post much default risk, investors should tread cautiously with the credit due to headline risks that could cut the value of their holdings, that’s the assessment offered from one buyside participant.

In the week ended Oct. 29, the weekly average yield to maturity of the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index remained flat at 4.34% from the previous week. The BB40 Index is based on the price of 40 long-term bonds.

The $500 million of federal TIGER grants to transportation projects in 34 states brings the total to $4.6 billion since 2009.

Nevada's Clark County School District, the nation's fifth largest, is in the midst of a restructuring that could have repercussions for its outstanding and future bonds.

The National Governors Association is calling on newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan to move transportation and online sales tax legislation.

In a second podcast installment with Howard Cure, the Evercore Wealth Management director of muni bond research pinpoints New York regional transit funding challenges with Bond Buyer senior Northeast reporter Paul Burton.

ALABAMA